Guide robot

ABSTRACT

The guide robot includes a case having a coupling hole and a door type display structure that is capable of opening or closing the coupling hole. Access to the body part in which main electrical components are provided may be easy. An installation plate coupled to a main frame, a slide guide and a guide plate, which are coupled to the installation plate, and a plurality of link type coupling devices coupled to one side of the guide plate and connected to the display unit may be provided to open or close the coupling hole by rotating the display unit after the display unit slidably moves.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2017-0085368, filed on Jul. 5, 2017, and KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2016-0178425, filed on Dec. 23, 2016, whoseentire disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to a guide robot.

2. Background

The application fields of robots are generally classified intoindustrial, medical, space, and submarine applications. For example, inthe mechanical processing industrial such as automobile production,robot may perform repetitive works. Industrial robots are used in whichsimple labor is required to repeat the same operation. Such a robot mayconfirm a position or recognize an obstacle by using a camera. The robotmay also display a photographed image on a display.

With the recent increase in airport users and efforts to make a leapinto a smart airport, plans are being developed to provide servicesthrough robots in airports. When an artificial intelligence robot isintroduced to the airport, it may be expected that the robot is capableof performing the unique role of the person who could not replace theexisting computer system, thereby contributing to the quantitative andqualitative improvement of the provided services.

In general, a robot includes a screen, e.g., a display unit thatprovides service information to a user. The display unit may also moveto a position that is convenient for the user. For example, the displayunit may be mounted on a main body to adjust a height thereof in avertical direction.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1243262 (Registration Date: Mar. 7,2013) entitled “INTELLIGENT DISPLAY DEVICE,” discloses the screen unitmounted on a main body to provide service information to a user and adriving unit for elevating the screen unit. A screen angle may beautomatically adjusted to match a viewing angle of the user. The screenunit and the driving unit are coupled to the main body in the form of arail to ascend and descend.

When repair of the device is required, access to the driving unit forfixing the screen unit or access to the main body connected to thedriving unit is difficult. There is an inconvenience that the mainelectrical units of the main body are opened by releasing the couplingof the screen unit or the coupling of the driving unit.

The screen unit (display) is coupled to the driving unit. When thescreen unit is replaced with another display unit or repaired bycompletely separating the screen unit from the main body, the releasingof the coupling is arduous. Although the screen unit is disassembled,the screen unit has to move to a separate space for repairing the mainbody and the driving unit. However, it is inconvenient to move of thescreen unit due to a heavy weight of the screen unit.

The above references are incorporated by reference herein whereappropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternativedetails, features and/or technical background.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to thefollowing drawings in which like reference numerals refer to likeelements wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating an outer appearance of aguide robot according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating the outer appearance ofthe guide robot according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration inwhich a case of the guide robot is removed according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion of a guide robotaccording to a first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion of a guide robotaccording to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating a coupling device of the guiderobot according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view illustrating a connection relationshipbetween a movement guide device and a slide guide of the guide robotaccording to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which anopening device and an insertion member of the guide robot are coupled toeach other according to an embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which theopening device and the insertion member of the guide robot are separatedfrom each other according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 10 to 12 are rear perspective views sequentially illustrating aprocess of opening a display unit of the guide robot according to anembodiment.

FIGS. 13 to 15 are plan views sequentially illustrating a process ofopening the display unit of the guide robot according to an embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a guide robotaccording to a third embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the guide robotaccording to the third embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a movement guide device ofthe guide robot according to the third embodiment.

FIGS. 20 to 22 are views sequentially illustrating a process ofseparating a display unit of the guide robot according to the thirdembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The guide robot according to an embodiment may provide a route guideservice or airport information to a user. A guide robot that is used atan airport will be described as one example for the detaileddescription. However, such a guide robot may be used anywhere where aguide is needed for a person at home or outside of the home, or otherpublic settings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a guide robot 1 according to an embodimentmay include a main body 10 and a display unit or module 20 (or a displayscreen).

The main body 10 may include cases or shells 31, 32, 33, and 34 definingan outer appearance of the guide robot 1, and the cases 31, 32, 33, and34 may cover the main body 10. The cases 31, 32, 33, and 34 may includea top cover 31 provided at an upper side, a first middle cover 32provided below the top cover 31, a second middle cover 33 provided belowthe first middle cover 32, and a bottom cover 34 provided below thesecond middle cover 33.

The top cover 31 may be provided at the uppermost end of the guide robot1 and may have a dome shape. The top cover 31 may be provided at aheight (e.g., about 142 cm or 4.65 ft) less than that of an adult toeasily receive an input command from the user. The top cover 31 mayrotate at an angle of about 360 degrees.

The top cover 31 may include a manipulation part or user interface 41 ata side of a front surface thereof. The manipulation part 41 may performa function of receiving a command from the user. For this, themanipulation part 41 may include a touch monitor for receiving a touchinput from the user.

The manipulation part 41 may further include an object recognitionsensor. The object recognition sensor may include a 2D camera and anRGBD sensor. The 2D camera may be a sensor for recognizing a person orobject on the basis of a two-dimensional image. The RGBD sensor (red,green, blue, and distance sensors) may be a sensor for acquiring aperson's position or face image. The manipulation part 41 may furtherinclude at least one physical button or push button for directlyreceiving a command from the user.

The top cover 31 may further include a microphone 42 a provided on anupper portion of the manipulation part 41. The microphone 42 a mayperform a function of receiving an audio command from the user. Forexample, the microphone 42 a may be provided at each of four spots onthe upper end of the top cover 31 to accurately receive a sound commandfrom the user. Even if the guide robot 1 is stopped as well astraveling, an acoustic route guide request may be accurately receivedfrom the user.

In this embodiment, the top cover 31 may rotate to allow themanipulation part 41 to face a direction of travel of the guide robot 1.When the guide robot 1 receives a command (e.g., the voice command) fromthe user while the guide robot 1 is moving, the top cover 31 may rotateto be directed to a direction toward a position of the user.

Alternatively, when the guide robot 1 receives a command from the userwhile the guide robot 1 is moving, the top cover 31 may rotate in adirection opposite to the travel direction of the guide robot 1. The topcover 31 may rotate in a direction in which the display unit 20 isoriented. Thus, the user may manipulate the manipulation part 41 whilethe user views the airport information displayed on the display unit 20.

The top cover 31 may further include an emergency manipulation button47, either a push button or touch input button. The emergencymanipulation button 47 may perform a function of immediately stopping anoperation of the guide robot 1 while the guide robot 1 is stopped ortraveling.

The first middle cover 32 is provided below the top cover 31. The firstmiddle cover 32 may have a cylindrical shape where the diametergradually increases as the distance from the top over increases. Variouselectrical components including a board may be accommodated in the firstmiddle cover 32.

The RGBD sensor 42 b may be provided on an upper portion of the firstmiddle cover 32. The RGBD sensor 42 b may perform a function ofdetecting collision between the guide robot 1 and an obstacle while theguide robot 1 is traveling. For this, the RGBD sensor 42 b may beprovided in the traveling direction of the guide robot 1, i.e., at afront side of the first middle cover 32. For example, the RGBD sensor 42b may be provided at the uppermost portion of the first middle cover 32in consideration of an obstacle existing at the front of the guide robot1 or a height of a person.

The first middle cover 32 may further include a speaker 44. The speaker44 may perform a function of informing airport-related information tothe user by a voice output.

The first middle cover 32 may further include a seating part or supportledge (see reference numeral 32 a of FIG. 4) on which the display unit20 is mounted and a coupling hole (see reference numeral 32 b of FIG. 4)provided as an opening that is opened and closed by the display unit 20.

The seating part 32 a and the coupling hole 32 b may be provided on onesurface of a rear portion of the first middle cover 32 on which thedisplay unit 20 is provided. In other words, the seating part 32 a andthe coupling hole or opening 32 b may be provided in a rear portion ofthe main body 10.

The seating part 32 a may have a plate shape so that the display unit 20is supported thereon. For example, the seating part 32 a may support thedisplay unit 20 by supporting a bottom surface of a coupling part 22 ofthe display unit 20 thereon.

The coupling hole 32 b may be provided as an opening that coincides withan outer circumference of the coupling part 22 that will be describedlater. Thus, the coupling hole 32 b may be closed or opened through thecoupling part 22.

The coupling hole or access opening 32 b may be closed by a closingoperation of the display unit 20, such that the display unit 20 and themain body 10 may appear to be integrally coupled to each other. Thecoupling hole 32 b may be accessed by an opening operation of thedisplay unit 20, such that the display unit 20 may be spaced apart fromthe main body 10.

The guide robot 1 may be easily repaired or maintained through thecoupling hole 32 b. In detail, a body part 60 (or a circular plate) ofthe main body 10 is provided in the first middle cover 32, and mainelectrical components of the guide robot 1 are mainly provided on thebody part 60. When the guide robot 1 needs to be cleaned, or repaired,or needs maintenance, the user may easily access the main electricalcomponents through the coupling hole 32 b provided in one surface of therear portion of the first middle cover 32.

The first middle cover 32 may have a camera hole connected to a stereocamera 43. The camera hole may be a hole for an operation of the stereocamera 43 installed in the main body 10. The camera hole may be definedin a front lower end of the first middle cover 32. The stereo camera 43may photograph a front side of the guide robot 1 through the camerahole.

The second middle cover 33 is provided below the first middle cover 32.The second middle cover 33 may have a cylindrical shape that graduallyincreases in diameter similar to the first middle cover 32. The secondmiddle cover 33 may include a first cutout part 46 a. The first cutoutpart 46 a may be defined in a front surface of the second middle cover33. The first cutout part 46 a may be a portion that is cut in thesecond middle cover 33 so that a front lidar 71 (e.g., a radar detectionsystem) is operable.

The front lidar 71 is provided in the second middle cover 33. The firstcutout part 46 a may be defined to be cut along a circumference of thesecond middle cover 33 at a position corresponding to that of the frontlidar 71. The front lidar 71 may be exposed to the outside by the firstcutout part 46 a.

The second middle cover 33 may further include a second cutout part 46 b(see FIG. 2). The second cutout part 46 b may be defined in a rearsurface of the second middle cover 33. The second cutout part 46 b maybe a portion that is cut in the second middle cover 33 so that a rearlidar 72 (e.g., a radar detection system) that will be described lateris operable. Particularly, the second cutout part 46 b may be cut in therear surface of the second middle cover 33 by a predetermined length ina radius direction.

The rear lidar 72 is provided in the second middle cover 33. The secondcutout part 46 b may be defined to be cut along a circumference of thesecond middle cover 33 at a position corresponding to that of the rearlidar 72. The rear lidar 72 may be exposed to the outside by the secondcutout part 46 b.

In this embodiment, the first cutout part 46 a may be vertically spacedapart from the second cutout part 46 b so that the first cutout part 46a is not connected to the second cutout part 46 b. The first cutout part46 a may be provided above the second cutout part 46 b.

The second middle cover 33 may further include an ultrasonic sensor 45.The ultrasonic sensor 45 may be a sensor for determining a distancebetween the obstacle and the guide robot 1 by using an ultrasonicsignal. The ultrasonic sensor 45 may perform a function of detecting anobstacle that is close to the guide robot 1. For example, the ultrasonicsensor 45 may be provided in plurality to detect an obstacle in alldirections, which is close to the guide robot 1. The plurality ofultrasonic sensor 45 may be spaced apart from each other along acircumference of a lower end of the second middle cover 33.

The bottom cover 34 is provided below the second middle cover 33. Thebottom cover 34 may have a cylindrical shape that gradually decreases indiameter downward. A main wheel and an auxiliary wheel may beaccommodated in the bottom cover 34.

The display unit 20 may be connected to the main body 10 of the guiderobot 1 and installed in a prescribed direction of the main body 10. Forexample, the display unit 20 may be installed on a rear portion of theguide robot 1 and oriented lengthwise in a vertical direction.

The display unit 20 may be installed on one surface of a case, which isopposite to the moving direction of the main body 10 to perform theguide function such as guidance for the user to a boarding gate. Thedisplay unit 20 may be a curved display. Visual information (e.g.,airport gate information, route guide service information, and the like)related to the service of the guide robot may be provided on the displayunit.

The display unit 20 may further include a display cover 21 accommodatingthe curved display. The curved display may be accommodated in thedisplay cover 21. The display cover 21 may be positioned at a rear sideof the first middle cover 32.

The display unit 20 may include the coupling part or display support 22protruding toward the main body 10. In another aspect, the coupling part22 may constitute a portion of the case connected to the main body 10. Adimension of the coupling part 22 may correspond to a dimension of thecoupling hole 32 b provided as the opening in a surface of the firstmiddle cover 32 to close the coupling hole 32 b.

The coupling part 22 (or a display support) may protrude from a surfaceof the display cover 21. For example, the coupling part 22 may protrudefrom a surface of the display cover 21 in a direction of the main body10. The coupling part 22 may protrude from a rear surface of the displaycover 21 in a direction of the first middle cover 32.

The coupling part 22 may have various shapes. However, since thecoupling part 22 is closely mated to the coupling hole or opening 32 b,the coupling part 22 may have an outer circumference coinciding with thecoupling hole 32 b.

When the coupling part 22 is viewed from a side thereof, the couplingpart 22 may have a front surface mated to the main body 10, which isflat in a direction perpendicular to a bottom surface thereof. The frontsurface of the coupling part 22 may have a plate shape that stands up.

When the coupling part 22 is viewed from the side thereof, the couplingpart 22 may have a rear surface connected to the display cover 21, whichis concavely covered. Thus, the rear surface of the coupling part 22 mayhave a shape corresponding to an outer contour of the display cover 21accommodating the curved display. As described above, the bottom surfaceof the coupling part 22 may be seated on the seating part 32 a.

The display unit 20 may further include a reader hole or slot 25 that isa hole coincides to an internal space of a reader 55. In detail, thereader connection hole 25 may be defined by forming a hole in a frontupper portion of the coupling part 22. The reader connection hole 25 maybe provided as a hole in an upper portion of each of the coupling part22 and the display cover 21. The user may insert a plane ticket or amobile boarding pass into the internal space of the reader 55 throughthe reader connection hole 25 defined in an upper portion of the displayunit 20.

The coupling part 22 may include installation or attachment grooves orrecess 22 a and 22 b coupled to coupling devices 240 and 250 that willbe described later. A movement guide device 200 (or slidable/retractableinstallation guide) and the display unit 20 may be connected to eachother through the installation grooves 22 a and 22 b. The installationgrooves 22 a and 22 b may be coupled and fixed to the coupling device byusing a separate coupling member. The installation grooves 22 a and 22 bmay be defined by recessing the front surface of the coupling part 22.

The installation grooves 22 a and 22 b may be provided in plurality. Forexample, the installation grooves 22 a and 22 b may further include afirst installation groove 22 a and a second installation groove 22 bdefined below the first installation groove 22 a. The first installationgroove 22 a may be coupled to the first coupling device 240 that will bedescribed later, and the second installation groove 22 b may be coupledto the second coupling device 250 that will be described later.

The display unit 20 may perform an opening or closing operation foropening or closing the coupling hole 32 b that is the opening of themain body 10. This will be described later in detail. According to anembodiment, the guide robot 1 may move first along a set route to guidethe user to the route. The user may see the display unit 20 installed onthe rear portion of the guide robot 1 while moving along the guide robot1. The user may easily see the airport information displayed on thedisplay unit 20 while traveling along the guide robot 1 even though theguide robot 1 is traveling to guide the user.

The display unit 20 may have an upper end extending up to an upper endof the first middle cover 32 and a lower end extending to the secondcutout part 46 b. If the display unit 20 is provided to cover the secondcutout part 46 b, laser emitted from the rear lidar 72 may collide withthe lower end of the curved display. It may be difficult to detect adistance between the guide robot 1 and the obstacle provided at the rearside of the guide robot 1.

The direction will be defined. In FIG. 3, a vertical direction may bereferred to as an upward and downward direction or an axial direction,and a horizontal direction may be referred to as a radial direction. Theaxial direction may be a direction of a central axis of a traveling part100 and be the same as a direction of a central axis of a head part 50.The radial direction may be understood as a direction perpendicular tothe axial direction. A direction of a virtual circle defined whenrotating about the axial direction by using a distance of the radialdirection as a rotation radius may be called a circumferentialdirection. Also, a direction in which the stereo camera 43 is orientedmay be called a front direction, and a direction in which the displayunit 20 is oriented may be called a rear direction.

The main body 10 according to an embodiment may include the travelingpart 100 (e.g., lower section) capable of traveling, a body part 60(e.g., middle section) provided above the traveling part 100 to includemain electronic equipment, and the head part 50 (e.g., upper section)provided above the body part 60.

The traveling part 100 may include a traveling wheel including a mainwheel connected to a motor and an auxiliary wheel that is subordinatedto the main wheel and a bumper stacked on the traveling wheel. Thetraveling part 100 may further include a support plate 120 supporting aplurality of frames 62 and 63. The support plate 120 may have a diskshape and be coupled to a plurality of brackets for fixing andsupporting the plurality of frames 62 and 63.

The traveling part 100 may further include the rear lidar 72 and abattery 110 providing power. The battery 110 may supply power fordriving the guide robot 1. Since the battery occupies the largest weightof the entire weight of the guide robot 1, the battery 110 may beprovided at a lower portion of the main body 10. The battery 110 mayinclude a Li-ion battery. However, the present disclosure is not limitedthereto. The battery 110 may include a battery different from the Li-ionbattery.

The rear lidar 72 may be a laser sensor, i.e., a sensor that irradiateslaser beams and collects analyzes light, which is scattered backward, oflight absorbed or scattered by aerosol to recognize a position of theobstacle. The rear lidar 72 may be provided at a rear side of a guideplate 310 that will be described later. The rear lidar 72 may beprovided to face the rear side of the guide robot 1. The rear lidar 72may be exposed to the outside through the second cutout part 46 bdefined in the second middle cover 33.

The body part 60 may be provided above the traveling part 100 andinclude the plurality of frames 62 and 63. The plurality of frames 62and 63 may be fixed and supported by the support plate 120 and lengthilyextend upward.

The plurality of frames 62 and 63 may include main frames 62 and 63extending from the support plate 120 to the head part 50. The mainframes 62 and 63 may support the display unit 20 and the head part 50.The main frames 62 and 63 may include a first main frame 62 and a secondmain frame 63. In detail, each of the first and second main frames 62and 63 may have a pillar shape to extend axially in a verticaldirection. The first and second main frames 62 and 6 may be fixed to atop surface of the support plate 120.

The first and second main frames 62 and 63 may be spaced the samedistance from a center of the support plate 120 in both directions. Inanother aspect, the first and second main frames 62 and 63 may bebilaterally symmetrical to each other with respect to the center of thesupport plate 120. The head part 50 may be coupled to an upper end ofeach of the first and second main frames 62 and 63.

The body part 60 may further include a body plate 61. The main frames 62and 63 may pass through the body plate 61 and then be inserted into anypositions of the main frames 62 and 63. The body plate 61 may beprovided at a lower side of a bisector with respect to a point thatbisects each of the main frames 62 and 63. The body plate 61 may have adisk shape and also have openings to minimize a weight thereof.

The body part 60 may include various boards (substrates) for controllingan overall operation of the guide robot 1. Core electronic equipment ofthe guide robot 1 may be provided on the body part 60.

The body part 60 may include an application processor (AP) board 74. TheAP board may be provided on a top surface of the body plate 61. The APboard may function as a device for managing the entire system of ahardware module of the guide robot 1, i.e., a controller.

The plurality of frames may further include sub frames. The sub framesmay be provided below the body plate 61 to perform a function ofsupporting the body plate 61. The plurality of sub frames may beprovided lower than the main frames 62 and 63. Particularly, the subframes may include a first sub frame 62 a and a second sub frame 62 b(not visible in FIG. 3).

Each of the first and second sub frames may have a pillar shape toextend in the vertical direction. The first and second sub frames may befixed to the top surface of the support plate 120.

The first and second sub frames may be spaced the same interval backwardfrom the first and second main frames 62 and 63, respectively and beprovided lower than the body plate 61. That is, the first and second subframes may be bilaterally symmetrical with respect to a center of thesupport plate 120. Also, the body plate 61 may be coupled to upper endsof the first and second sub frames.

The frames may further include a third sub frame 62 b. The third subframe may be fixed to the top surface of the support plate 120. Thethird sub frame may be provided adjacent to the main frame. For example,the third sub frame may be spaced a predetermined distance forward fromthe center of the support plate 120. The third sub frame may be providedon a front portion of the support plate 120 in consideration of a centerof gravity of the body plate 61. The body plate 61 may be coupled to anupper end of the third sub frame.

The body part 60 may further include installation plates 64 and 65. Eachof the installation plates 64 and 65 may have a plate shape to extendaxially in the vertical direction, and the installation plates 64 and 65may be coupled to the main frames 62 and 63, respectively.

The installation plates 64 and 65 may include a first installation plate64 and a second installation plate 65. For example, the firstinstallation plate 64 may be coupled to the first main frame 62, and thesecond installation plate 65 may be coupled to the main frame 63.

The first installation plate 64 and the second installation plate 65 maybe provided to face each other. Each of the surfaces on which the firstand second installation plates 64 and 65 face each other may be referredto as an inner surface. The first main frame 62 may be coupled to anouter surface of the first installation plate 64, and the second mainframe 63 may be coupled to an outer surface of the second installationplate 65.

The first installation plate 64 may extend downward from an upper end ofthe first main frame 62. Also, the second installation plate 65 mayextend downward from an upper end of the second main frame 63.

A lower portion of each of the first and second installation plates 64and 65 may pass through the body plate 61. Also, each of the first andsecond installation plates 64 and 65 may have a plurality of openings toreduce a weight thereof.

The body part 60 may further include a micro controller unit (MCU)board. The MCU board may be provided on the inner surface of the firstinstallation plate 64. The MCU board may control an overall operation ofthe guide robot 1 and include a memory in which data for supportingvarious functions of the guide robot 1 is stored.

The body part 60 may further include a power board 75. The power board75 may be provided on the inner surface of the first installation plate64. The power board may control the supply of power of the battery 110to various components provided in the guide robot 1.

The body part 60 may further include a user interface board. The userinterface board may be provided on the inner surface of the firstinstallation plate 64. The user interface board may control an operationof a component that is responsible for a user to provide an input andprovide an output.

The body part 60 may further include a main PCB or a stereo board 73.The main PCB or the stereo board 73 may be provided below the body plate61 and provided between the stereo camera 43 and the third sub frame.The stereo board may be responsible for a data management for processingsensed data collected from the various sensors and the camera torecognize a position of the guide robot 1 and an obstacle.

In this embodiment, the number of various boards (substrates) is notlimited thereto, and thus may be smaller or larger than the abovenumbers. Since the kinds of above-described boards are merely examples,the present disclosure is not limited to the kind of boards.

The body part 13 may further include the front lidar 71. The front lidar71 may be a laser radar, i.e., a sensor that irradiates laser beams,collects, and analyzes light, which is scattered backward, of lightabsorbed or scattered by aerosol to recognize a position of theobstacle. The front lidar 71 may have the same component as the rearlidar 72. However, the front lidar 71 may be provided at a front side ofthe second support plate 120. The front lidar 71 may be provided to facea front side of the guide robot 1. The front lidar 71 may be exposed tothe outside through the first cutout part 46 a defined in the secondmiddle cover 33.

The body part 13 may further include the stereo camera 43. The stereocamera 43 may perform a function of detecting an obstacle provided atthe front side of the guide robot 1 together with the RGBD sensor 42 b.

The body part 60 may further include the movement guide device 200 thatmoves the display unit 20 forward or backward through a slidingmovement. The movement guide device 200 may be coupled to the secondinstallation plate 65. This will be described later in detail.

The head part 50 may be rotatably installed above the body part 60. Thehead part 50 may be coupled to the top cover 31, and the top cover 31may be installed to be rotatable with the head part 50. The head part 50may further include a rotation motor. The rotation motor may providepower for rotating a rotation member 51.

The head part 50 may further the reader 55. The reader 55 may have anopening aligned with the coupling hole 32 b. The internal space of thereader 55 may be defined above the coupling hole 32 b. Thus, the reader55 may be aligned to the reader connection hole 25 of the coupling part22.

When the display unit 20 is in the closed state to close the couplinghole 32 b, the reader connection hole 25 and the internal space of thereader 55 may be aligned to each other. The user may insert a planeticket into the reader 55 through the reader connection hole 25.

The reader 55 may scan or recognize a user's passport, a plane ticket, amobile barcode, a QR code and the like. Information required for theuser may be displayed through the display unit 20 on the basis ofinformation acquired through the reader 55. For example, when the userinserts the mobile device into the reader 55 for recognizing a barcodeof a mobile boarding pass, the display unit 20 may display a boardinggate to which the user should move and guide the user on the basis ofthe information obtained through the mobile boarding pass.

A movement guide device 200 according to one embodiment will bedescribed in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7. The movement guidedevice or slidable or retractable guide 200 may include slide guides 220and 221 installed on an inner surface of a second installation plate 65and a guide plate 210 in which the slide guides 220 and 221 are insertedto slidably move.

The slide guides 220 and 221 may be provided as frames that extendradially in forward and backward along an inner surface of the secondinstallation plate 65. For example, the slide guides 220 and 221 mayinclude a first slide guide 220 positioned at an upper portion of theguide plate 210 and a second slide guide 221 located at a lower portionof the guide plate 210.

The first slide guide 220 may protrude by a predetermined distance fromthe inner surface of the second installation plate 65 to extendvertically from a protruding end thereof. For example, the first slideguide 220 may have a ‘

’ shape.

The second slide guide 221 may be provided below the first slide guide220. The second slide guide 220 may protrude a predetermined distancefrom the inner surface of the second installation plate 65 to extendvertically from the protruding end thereof. The second slide guide 220may have the same shape as the first slide guide.

The guide plate 210 may slidably move forward or backward inside a mainbody 10 through the guide of the slide guides 220 and 221. The guideplate 210 may slidably move forward or backward in an internal space ofa body part 60, which is defined by the first and second installationplates 64 and 65.

In another aspect, the guide plate 210 may slidably move to be insertedinto or withdrawn from the main body 10 along the inner surface of thesecond installation plate 65. The guide plate 210 may have variousshapes. For example, the guide plate 210 may have a rectangular plateshape.

Guide connection parts or grooves 211 and 212 in which the slide guides220 and 221 are inserted or connected to slidably move may be providedon one surface of the guide plate 210. An outer surface of the guideplate 210 may be understood as a surface that faces the inner surface ofthe second installation plate 65. The guide connection parts 211 and 212may be provided on the outer surface of the guide plate 210.

The guide connection parts 211 and 212 may be located on the outersurface of the guide plate 210 to correspond to the slide guides 220 and221. For example, the guide connection parts 211 and 212 may include afirst guide connection part 211 in which the first slide guide 220 isinserted to slidably move and a second guide connection part 212 inwhich the second slide guide 221 is inserted to slidably move.

The first and second guide connection parts 211 and 212 may have shapesor contours corresponding to that of the first and second slide guides220 and 221, respectively. For example, each of the first and secondguide connection parts 211 and 221 may be a groove that is recessed in a“

” shape inward from an outer surface of the guide plate 210 so that the“

” shape is insertable therein.

The first and second guide connection parts 211 and 212 may allow theguide plate 210 to stably move forward or backward through the guidanceof the first and second slide guides 220 and 221.

The movement guide device 200 may further include an opening device aretainer 300 that is capable of restricting the guide plate 210 and aninsertion member or a pin 351 inserted into or withdrawn from theopening device 300.

The insertion member 351 may be provided on a side surface of the guideplate 210. In detail, the insertion member 351 may be provided on onesurface of the guide plate 210, which faces the main body 10, when theguide plate 210 slidably moves to the inside of the main body 10, i.e.,slidably moves forward into the body.

The insertion member 351 may have a protrusion shape and be provided inplurality. Also, the insertion member 351 may be installed on the guideplate to correspond to the position of the opening device 300.

The opening device 300 may be configured to insert or withdraw theinsertion member 351 therethrough. The opening device 300 may be fixedso that the guide plate 210 is restricted and thus does not move againbackward when the insertion member 351 is inserted and hooked bypressing of the user. The opening device 300 may be configured so thatthe hooking of the insertion member 351 is released by secondarypressing of the user.

The restriction of the guide plate 210 may be released to slidably movebackward. The opening device 300 may be installed on the inner surfaceof the second installation plate 65. The opening device 300 may beprovided in plurality. For example, the opening device 300 may beprovided below the slide guides 220 and 221. The insertion member 351may be provided on the guide plate 210 to correspond to thecorresponding position. Thus, the insertion member 351 may be insertedinto and hooked or latched to the opening device 300 when the guideplate 210 is maximally inserted into the main body 10. Structures of theinsertion member 351 and the opening device 300 will be described laterin detail.

A movement guide device 200 according to another embodiment (secondembodiment) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5. Asecond embodiment is different from the foregoing first embodiment inshape of a guide plate 210 and constituents of a slide guide 220 and aguide connection part.

A movement guide device 200 of this embodiment may include a guide plate210 connected to coupling devices 240 and 250 that will be describedlater. The guide plate 210 may have a plurality of recesses or openingsto reduce a weight thereof. The guide plate 210 may be connected to asecond installation plate 65 so as to be inserted into or withdrawn froman internal space of a main body 10 through slidable movement thereof.

The movement guide device 200 may further include roller guides 225 and226 connecting the guide plate 210 to the second installation plate 65.The roller guides 225 and 226 may include upper rails 225 a and 226 aand lower rails 225 b and 226 b connected to the upper rails 225 a and226 a through rollers for movement. The roller guides 225 and 226 mayinclude a first roller guide 225 connected to an upper portion of anouter surface of the guide plate 210 and a second roller guide 226connected to a lower portion of the outer surface of the guide plate210. The guide plate 210 may be stably slid to move forward and backwardby the first and second roller guides 225 and 226.

The first roller guide 225 may include the upper rail 225 a connected tothe upper portion of the guide plate 210 and the lower rail 225 bconnected to the second installation plate 65. The second roller guide226 may include the lower rail 226 b connected to the lower portion ofthe guide plate 210 and the upper rail 226 a connected to the secondinstallation plate 65, unlike the first roller guide 225.

The lower rail 225 b of the first roller guide 225 connected to thesecond installation plate 65 and the upper rail 226 a of the secondroller guide 226 may be fixed, and the upper rail 225 a of the firstroller guide 225 connected to the guide plate 210 and the lower rail 226b of the second roller guide 226 may move forward and backward by therollers.

The coupling devices 240 and 250 connected to the guide plate 210 willbe described in detail with reference to FIG. 6. The coupling devices240 and 250 may be installed on the inner surface of the guide plate210. That is, the coupling devices or hinges 240 and 250 may be providedon one surface of the guide plate 210, which faces a power board 75. Thecoupling devices 240 and 250 may be provided at a rear side of the innersurface of the guide plate 210. A display unit 20 provided on a rearportion of the main body 10 may be easily connected through the couplingdevices 240 and 250.

The coupling devices 240 and 250 may include a plurality of couplingdevices. For example, the coupling devices 240 and 250 may include afirst coupling device or a first hinge 240 and a second coupling deviceor a second hinge 250 provided below the first coupling device 240.

The first coupling device 240 may include a first support plate 241coupled to the guide plate 210, a first link 242 rotatably connected tothe first support plate 241, a second link 243 rotatably connected tothe first link 242, and a first attachment plate 246 connected to thesecond link 243 and coupled to a first installation groove 21 a of thedisplay unit 20.

The first support plate 241 may be located on an upper portion of theinner surface of the guide plate 210. The first support plate 241 may behinge-coupled to the first link 242 and a third link 244. The firstsupport plate 241 may be pin-jointed to the first link 242 and the thirdlink 244. Thus, the first link 242 and the third link 244 may rotate atan angle of about 180 degrees with respect to a center of the supportplate 241.

The first link 242 may have a rectangular shape with a central portion(a center) opened. The first link 242 may have one edge or endhinge-coupled to the first support plate 241 and the other edge or endthat is symmetrical to the one edge or end and hinge-coupled to thesecond link 243 at a center thereof. The second link 243 may berotatable by using the other edge or end of the first link 242 as acentral axis.

In another aspect, the first link 242 may be rotatably connected byusing the first support plate 241 as a central axis. The second link 243may be rotatably connected by using the first link 242 as a centralaxis. The second link 243 may have a rectangular bar shape. The secondlink 243 may have one end connected to one end of the first link 242 andthe other end connected to the first attachment plate 246.

The first attachment plate 246 may be coupled to the first installationgroove 22 a of the coupling part 22 and then be fixed. The firstattachment plate 246 may have one surface connected to the second link243 and the other surface connected to the first installation groove 22a.

The first attachment plate 246 may be coupled to the first installationgroove 22 a through a separate coupling member and then be fixed. Whenthe user intends to separate the display unit 20 from the guide robot 1,the coupling member 240 coupled to the first attachment plate 246 andthe first installation groove 22 a may be released to easily separatethe display unit 20 from the guide robot 1.

The first coupling device 240 may further include a third link 244spaced apart from the first link 242 and rotatably connected to thesupport plate 241 and a fourth link 245 rotatably connected to the thirdlink 244. The third link 244 may be rotatably connected by using thefirst support plate 241 as a central axis. The fourth link 245 may bealso rotatably connected by using the third link 244 as a central axis.

The third link 244 may be provided at a rear side rather than the firstlink 242. The third link 244 may have a rectangular shape of which acentral portion (a center) is opened, like the first link 242. However,the third link 244 may have a length greater than that of the first link242. Since the second link 243 is provided in an opened middle space ofthe third link 244 at a position lower than that of the fourth link 245,the second link 243 may be movable in a range of a predetermined angle.

The third link 244 may have one edge or end hinge-coupled to the supportplate 241 and the other edge or end that is symmetrical to the one edgeand hinge-coupled to the fourth link 245 at a center thereof. Thus, thefourth link 245 may be rotatable by using the other edge of the thirdlink 244 as a central axis.

The fourth link 245 may have the same rectangular bar shape as thesecond link 243. However, the fourth link 245 may have a length lessthan that of the second link 243. Since the second link 243 is coupledto the first link 242 at a front position rather than the fourth link245, the second link 243 is likely to have a length greater than that ofthe fourth link 245 so as to be vertically connected to one surface ofthe first attachment plate 246.

The fourth link 245 may have one end connected to one end of the thirdlink 244 and the other end connected to the first attachment plate 246.The fourth link 245 may be spaced apart from the second link 243 andconnected to the first attachment plate 246.

In summary, the first link 242 may have a length less than that of thethird link 244, and the second link 243 may have a length less than thatof the fourth link 245.

Thus, the second link 243 connected to the first link 242 may berotatable in the opened middle space of the third link 244 andsimultaneously be connected to one surface of the first attachment plate246 that is a plane perpendicular thereto together with the fourth link245. Since the first to fourth links 242 to 245 are rotatably movable ina range of a predetermined angle, the display unit 20 connected to theother surface of the attachment plate 246 may be rotatable in a range ofa predetermined angle without considering an interference with othercomponents. Arrow solid lines of FIG. 6 indicates rotational directionsof the first to fourth links 242 to 245.

The second coupling device 250 may include a second support plate 251provided below the first support plate 241 and coupled to the guideplate 210, a first link 252 rotatably connected by using the secondsupport plate 251 as a central axis, a third link 254 rotatablyconnected by using the second support plate 251 as a central axis at aposition spaced apart from the first link 252, a second link 253rotatably connected by using the first link 252 as a central axis, afourth link 255 rotatably connected by using the third link 254 as acentral axis, and a second attachment plate 256 to which the second link253 and the fourth link 255 are coupled at positions spaced apart fromeach other.

The second coupling device 250 may have the same constituent and thesame connection relationship between the constituents as the firstcoupling device 240. Thus, the duplicated descriptions of the secondcoupling device 250 may be derived from those of the first couplingdevice 240.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view illustrating a connection relationshipbetween the movement guide device and the slide guide of the guide robotaccording to the first embodiment, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional viewillustrating a state in which the opening device and the insertionmember of the guide robot are coupled to each other according to anembodiment, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state inwhich the opening device and the insertion member of the guide robot areseparated from each other according to an embodiment.

As described above, the movement guide device 200 may further includethe opening device 300 and the insertion member 351. Hereinafter,coupling between the opening device 300 and the insertion member 351 andreleasing of the coupling will be described in detail.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, the movement guide device 200 according to anembodiment may further include the opening device 300 installed on theinner surface of the second installation plate 65 to extend backwardfrom one point of the inner surface of the second installation plate 65.The opening device 300 may be provided below the slide guides 220 and221.

The opening device 300 may have an insertion part that is an openinginto which the insertion member 351 provided on one surface of the guideplate 210 is inserted. The opening device 300 may include a hook member315 that is selectively hooked to the insertion member 351 while theinsertion member 351 is inserted and withdrawn.

The insertion member 351 may be provided on the front surface of theguide plate 210, which faces the main body 10, and selectively coupledto the opening device 300. The insertion member 351 may include aprotrusion part 351 a inserted into the insertion part and a railconnection part 351 b connecting the protrusion part 351 a to the guideplate 210. Here, the insertion member 351 may be defined as a portion ofthe guide plate 210.

The rail connection part 351 b or shaft may extend forward from theguide plate 210, and the protrusion part or head 351 a may be coupled toone end of the rail connection part 351 b. The protrusion part 351 a maybe spaced a predetermined distance forward from the guide plate 210.

The protrusion part 351 a may have an opened end 351 c that is openedforward to accommodate the hook member 315 or hook. The hook member 315may have a hook end 316 that is hooked with an inner surface of theprotrusion part 351 a. The hook member 315 may be provided in plurality,and the plurality of hook members 315 may be spaced apart form eachother.

Each of the hook members 315 may be deformed or deflect in a directionin which the plurality of hook members 315 approach each other. The hookend 316 may include an inclined surface so that the hook member 315 iseasily inserted into the opened end 351 c. The inner surface of theprotrusion part 351 a, which is hooked with the hook end 316, may havean inclined surface corresponding to the hook end 316.

While the insertion member 351 is inserted into the opening device 300,the hook end 316 may be inserted into the protrusion part 351 a whilebeing guided along the opened end 351 c. Each of the plurality of hookmembers 315 may be elastically deformed in the direction in which theplurality of hook members 315 approach each other.

When the hook member 315 is completely inserted into the protrusion part351 a, each of the plurality of hook members 315 returns to its originaldirection or shape and then is hooked with the inner surface of theprotrusion part 351 a.

The opening device 300 may include a pressed part or a bumper 321 thatis pressed by the insertion member 351 while the insertion member 351moves backward and a first elastic member or spring 330 that allows thepressed part 321 to be elastically movable. The pressed part 321 and thefirst elastic member 330 may be provided in plurality on both innersides of the opening device 300.

The pressed part 321 may include an inclined surface corresponding part321 a that is inclined in one direction. The hook member 315 may includean inclined surface 325 provided on at least a portion of the hookmember 315 to correspond to the inclined surface corresponding part 321a and a second elastic member or spring 340 that allows the hook member315 to be elastically movable backward. The second elastic member 340may have an elastic coefficient less than that of the first elasticmember 330.

To insert the coupling part 22 of the display unit 20 into the couplinghole 32 b, when the display unit 20 is pressed forward (forward being indirection of forward movement of the guide robot), the guide plate 210may be inserted into the main body 10 along the slide guides 220 and221, and the insertion member 351 may be inserted into the openingdevice 300. The hook member 315 may be inserted into the protrusion part351 a, and the hook end 316 may be hooked with the inner surface of thehook protrusion part 351 a. As a result, the guide plate 210 may becoupled to the slide guides 220 and 221 and thus fixed to the secondinstallation plate 65. The coupling part 22 of the display unit 20 maybe maintained in the state of being inserted into the coupling hole 32b.

For example, a coupling part connection device such as a door catch, amagnet latch, and the like may be provided at one side of the couplinghole 32 b. The coupling part connection device may couple the couplingpart 22 to the coupling hole 32 b through a magnet or a latch to stablymaintain the coupling between the display unit 20 and the main body 10.

In the state in which the insertion member 351 is coupled to the openingdevice 300, when the display unit 20 is pushed, the insertion member 351may move backward, i.e., in a direction in which the display isoriented. Thus, the pressed part 321 is pressed while the insertionmember 351 moves, and the pressed part 321 moves backward. Here, thefirst elastic member 330 may be compressed. While the pressed part 321moves backward, the inclined surface corresponding part 321 a may pressthe inclined surface 325.

In this process, force applied backward and force applied to a directionin which the plurality of hook members 315 are pushed down may beapplied to the inclined surface 325. Thus, each of the plurality of hookmembers 315 may be deformed in the direction in which the plurality ofhook members 315 approach each other to move backward.

Also, the hook end 316 may be released in hook with the protrusion part351 a to move to the outside of the protrusion part 351 a. Here, thesecond elastic member 340 may be compressed. Also, when the pushingoperation of the display unit 20 is stopped, the first elastic member330 may return to its original direction, and thus, the pressed part 321may move forward to push the protrusion part 351 a forward.

The protrusion part 351 a may move to the outside of the opening device300 by the applying force of the pressed part 321 and thus be separatedfrom the opening device 300. As a result, the display unit 20 may bewithdrawn backward by a predetermined distance.

Also, when the display unit 20 is pulled, the coupling part 22 may beseparated from the coupling hole 32 b, and the coupling part 22 may bewithdrawn backward from the main body 10 together with the guide plate210. That is, the insertion member 351 and the opening device 300 may beselectively coupled to each other according to the pressing number ofdisplay unit 20. For example, the coupling part 22 of the display unit20 may be inserted into the main body 10 by a primarily pressing orpushing operation and be easily withdrawn by a secondarily pullingoperation. As a result, the difficulty that the user has to assert a lotof force to withdraw out the display unit 20 may be solved.

FIGS. 10 to 12 are rear perspective views sequentially illustrating aprocess of opening the display unit of the guide robot according to anembodiment, and FIGS. 13 to 15 are plan views sequentially illustratinga process of opening the display unit of the guide robot according to anembodiment. The opening or closing operation of the display unit 20 willbe described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 10 to 15.

As described above, the display unit 20 may perform the opening orclosing operation for opening or closing the coupling hole 32 b that isthe opening of the main body 10. The opening operation may represent anoperation for opening the coupling hole 32 b by releasing the couplingbetween the display unit 20 and the main body 10.

The opening operation may start from the closed state in which thedisplay unit 20 closes the coupling hole 32 b of the main body 10. Theuser may push the display unit 20 from the coupling hole 32 b of themain body 10. For example, when the user presses the display unit 20forward, the locked state of the insertion member 351 in the openingdevice 300 may be released. The display unit 20 may be withdrawn by apredetermined distance backward, i.e., in an outward direction of thecoupling hole 32 b by the elastic force.

Thereafter, the user may pull the display unit 20 backward. Since theuser provides the pulling force to the display unit 20, the pullingforce may be transferred to the coupling devices 240 and 250 connectingthe coupling part 22 of the display unit 20 to the guide plate 210 ofthe movement guide device 200. Thus, the guide plate 210 may slidablymove backward, and the guide plate 210 may be withdrawn from thecoupling hole 32 b according to the guidance of the slide guide 220.

When the guide plate 210 is maximally withdrawn backward from thecoupling hole 32 b, the display unit 20 may be withdrawn to the rearmostposition. This state may be called the pulled state of the display unit20. Thereafter, the display unit 20 may rotate in a clockwise orcounterclockwise direction by the coupling devices 240 and 250. Thedisplay unit 20 may rotate at a predetermined angle through the rotationof the plurality of links 242, 243, 244, 245, 252, 253, 254, and 255provided in the coupling devices 240 and 250. Thus, the display unit 20may rotate to completely open the coupling hole 32 b of the main body10. This state may be called the opened state, and the opening operationmay be completed.

The closing operation may represent an operation for allowing thedisplay unit 20 to appear integrated to the main body 10 by closing thecoupling hole 32 b. The closing operation may be understood in a reverseorder of the opening operation. Thus, the closing operation may startfrom the opened state. The user may rotate the coupling part 22 of thedisplay unit 20 in the reverse order so as to allow the coupling part tobe provided at a position corresponding to the coupling hole 32 b. Thisstate may be called a state that returns to its regular position.

Thereafter, the user may push the display unit 20 forward. Since theuser provides the pushing force to the display unit 20, the guide plate210 connected to the display unit 20 may slidably move forward. Theguide plate 210 may be inserted into the coupling hole 32 b according tothe guidance of the slide guide 220.

When the guide plate 210 is maximally inserted into the coupling hole 32b, and the bottom surface of the coupling part 22 is seated on theseating part 32 a, the main body 10 and the display unit 20 may beintegrally coupled to each other to provide the closed state.

The insertion member 351 of the movement guide device 200 may beinserted into and coupled to the opening device. Thus, the closed stateof the display unit 20 may be stably maintained, and the closingoperation is completed.

Since the display unit 20 performing the opening operation and theclosing operation to open and close the coupling hole 32 b of the mainbody 10 performs a function as a door of the main body 10, the displayunit 20 may be called a “door unit”, a “door display unit”, or a “doortype display unit”.

A guide robot according to a third embodiment will be described indetail with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19. The third embodiment isdifferent from the first and second embodiments in that a display unit20 is configured to be easily separated from or coupled to a movementguide device 200. In the third embodiment, descriptions duplicated withthe first or second embodiment will be derived from those of the firstor second embodiment.

Since the opening operation of the display unit 20 according to thefirst and second embodiments is performed to rotate at a smallrotational angle of the display unit 20, a portion of the coupling hole32 b may be opened, and thus, it may be difficult to allow a worker toaccess the main components within the guide robot. However, according tothe third embodiment, since the rotating display unit 20 is capable ofbeing easily separated or coupled, the accessibility to the internalmain components may be improved.

A movement guide device 200 of a guide robot 1 according to the thirdembodiment may include slide guides 220 a and 221 a coupled to a secondinstallation plate 65 a, sliders 271 and 272 connected to the slideguides 220 a and 221 a for slide movement, a first guide plate 210 acoupled to the sliders 271 and 272, a stopper 270 restricting movementof the first guide plate 210 a, and a second guide plate 210 bconnecting the first guide plate 210 a to a display unit 20.

The second installation plate 65 a may be connected to one side of eachof main frames 62 and 63 and have a vertical length corresponding tothat of each of the guide plates 210 a and 210 b. The secondinstallation plate 65 a may have a compact dimension corresponding to asize of each of the guide plates 210 a and 210 b.

The slide guides 220 a and 221 a may be coupled into the secondinstallation plate 65 a. Since the slide guides 220 a and 221 a guideinsertion and withdrawal of the first guide plate 210 a through themovement of the sliders 271 and 272, the slide guides 220 a and 221 amay extend radially in the insertion or withdrawal direction of thefirst guide plate 210 a. The insertion or withdrawal direction may beunderstood as a forward or backward direction.

The slide guides 220 a and 221 a may be provided in plurality. Theplurality of slide guides 220 a and 221 a may be coupled to the secondinstallation plate 65 a so as to be spaced apart vertically from eachother. The slide guides 220 a and 221 a may include a first slide guide220 a coupled to an upper portion of the second installation plate 65 aand a second slide guide 221 a coupled to a lower portion of the secondinstallation plate 65 a.

The sliders 271 and 272 may allow the slide guides 220 a and 221 a to beinserted therein and then slidably move along the extension direction ofthe slide guides 220 a and 221 a. The sliders 271 and 272 may beprovided in plurality. The sliders 271 and 272 may include an upperslider 271 slidably moving along the extension direction of the firstslide guide 220 a and a lower slider 272 slidably moving along theextension direction of the second slide guide 220 b. Also, the upperslider 271 and the lower slider 272 may be provided in plurality.

The sliders 271 and 272 may have one surface into which the slide guides220 a and 221 a are inserted and the other surface coupled and fixed tothe first guide plate 210 a. The sliders 271 and 272 may allow the slideguides 220 a and 221 a to be inserted therein in a direction facing thesecond installation plate 65 a and then slidably move. Each of thesliders 271 and 272 and the slide guides 220 a and 221 a may include alinear motion bearing (e.g., a linear motion (LM) guide).

The first guide plate 210 a may include an upper slider coupling grooveor recess 273 for attaching the upper slider 271 in the direction facingthe second installation plate 65 a and a lower slider coupling groove orrecess 274 coupled for attaching the lower slider 272. The upper slidercoupling groove 273 may be located on an upper end of the first guideplate 210 and may be formed to correspond to the number of upper sliders271. The lower slider coupling groove 274 may be located on a lower endof the first guide plate 210 and may be formed to correspond to thenumber of lower sliders 272. The first guide plate 210 a may bewithdrawn from or inserted into the coupling hole 32 b by the linearforward and backward motion of the sliders 271 and 272 coupled to theupper and lower slider coupling grooves 273 and 274.

The second installation plate 65 a may have a hook hole 66 in a centralportion thereof. The hook hole 66 may be understood as a space in whichthe stopper 270 connected to the first guide plate 210 a moves accordingto the withdrawal or insertion of the first guide plate 210 a. The firstguide plate 210 a may have a ‘⊏’ shape to reduce a weight thereof. Thestopper 270 may be coupled to the position of the first guide plate 210a, which is recessed inward.

The stopper 270 may be provided on one side of the first guide plate 210a to be movable with a space of the hook hole 66 of the secondinstallation plate 65 a. The stopper 270 may move depending on thelinear forward and backward movement of the first guide plate 210 a inthe hook hole 66.

The stopper 270 may be provided on a front end of the first guide plate210 a to come into contact with a rear end of the hook hole 66 at amaximally withdrawn distance of the first guide plate 210 a. Thewithdrawn distance of the first guide plate 210 a may be restricted bythe contact with the stopper 270. Thus, the sliders 271 and 272connecting the first guide plate 210 a to the second installation plate65 a may be prevented from being separated from the slide guides 220 aand 221 a.

The first guide plate 210 a may include a cutout part 275 coming intocontact with the second guide plate 210 b, a first assembly part 276,and an insertion groove 276 a. The cutout part 275, the first assemblypart 276, and the insertion groove 276 s may be provided in the firstguide plate 210 a so that the second guide plate 210 b is mounted to thefirst guide plate 201 a.

The cutout part 275 may be provided on the upper end of the first guideplate 210 a. In detail, the cutout part 275 may be formed by cutting aportion of the upper portion of the first guide plate 210 a into a ‘└’shape so that an upper portion of the second guide plate 210 b is seatedthereon. For example, the cutout part 275 may be vertically recessedinward with respect to a vertex defined by the rear end and the upperend of the first guide plate having a rectangular shape. Also, thecutout part 275 may be provided below the second guide plate 210 b tosupport the upper end of the second guide plate 210 b.

The first assembly part 276 may be formed by recessing one surface ofthe first guide plate 210 a. In detail, the first assembly part 276 maybe defined as a surface that is recessed downward from the cutout part275 to one point of the rear end of the first guide plate 210 a.

The first guide plate 210 a may have a stepped surface so that the rearend provided in the withdrawal direction has a height less than that ofthe front end provided in the insertion direction due to the firstassembly part 276. Here, one surface of the first assembly part 276,which forms the stepped portion of the first guide plate 210 a, may becalled a first stepped surface.

The first assembly part 276 may be provided to correspond to a secondassembly part 277 of the second guide plate 210 b. The first assemblypart 276 and the second assembly part 277 may have shapes matching eachother for mating the first and second assembly parts 276 and 277. Thefirst assembly part 276 may come into contact with the second assemblypart 277 of the second guide plate 210 b. One surface of the first guideplate 210 a may be flat without having a stepped portion due to thecontact between the first assembly part 276 and the second assembly part277.

The first assembly part 276 and the second assembly part 277 may becoupled to each other through coupling by a fixing member 280, e.g., athreaded knob. Here, the first guide plate 210 a and the second guideplate 210 b may be coupled to each other.

The insertion groove 276 a may extend downward from the first assemblypart 276 along the stepped surface. The stepped surface of the insertiongroove 276 a may have a width less than that of the stepped surface ofthe first assembly part 276. The insertion groove 276 a may also have astepped portion at a position that is spaced apart forward from the rearend of the first guide plate 210 a. Thus, the first guide plate 210 amay include an outer projection 276 b on the rear end of the first guideplate 210 a.

The insertion groove 276 a may have the same shape as the protrusion 277a of the second guide plate 210 b. The insertion groove 276 a may allowthe protrusion 277 a of the second guide plate 210 b to be fittedtherein.

The first assembly part 276 may have a first fixing hole 278. The firstfixing hole 278 may be understood as a position into which the fixingmember 280 for coupling the second guide plate 210 b is inserted. Thefirst fixing hole 278 may be provided in plurality. The first fixinghole 278 may be defined to correspond to a second fixing hole 279 of thesecond assembly part 277. The fixing member 280 may be inserted into thefirst fixing hole 278 and the second fixing hole 279 to couple the firstguide plate 210 a to the second guide plate 210 b.

The second guide plate 210 b may be seated and supported to come intocontact with the first assembly part 276. The second guide plate 210 bmay include the second assembly part 277 and the protrusion 277 a, whichcorrespond to those of the first assembly part 276.

The second assembly part 277 may be formed by recessing one surface ofthe second guide plate 210 b from the front end up to one point towardthe rear end. One surface of the second guide plate 210 b may have astepped portion. The one surface of the second guide plate 210 b may beunderstood as a surface coming into contact with the first guide plate210 a.

One surface of the second assembly part 277, which forms the steppedportion of the second guide plate 210 b, may be called a second steppedsurface. The second stepped surface may have the same shape as the firststepped surface. That is, the second assembly part 277 may have the sameshape as the first assembly part 276 to come into contact with the firstassembly part 276.

The protrusion 277 a may have a stepped surface extending downward froma lower end of the second assembly part 277. The stepped surface of theprotrusion 277 a may have a width less than that of the stepped surfaceof the second assembly part 277. The stepped surface extending by theprotrusion 277 a may extend along the front end of the second guideplate 210 b to define a groove 277 b in the second guide plate 210 b.The inner groove 277 b of the second guide plate 210 b may be understoodas a space into which the outer projection 276 b of the first guideplate 210 a is inserted.

In summary, the first and second guide plates 210 a and 210 b mayinclude the first and second assembly parts 276 and 277, which areassembled with and connected to each other. Further, the second guideplate 210 b may be seated on and supported by the cutout part 275 of thefirst guide plate 210 a.

The insertion groove 276 a and the protrusion 277 a, which have shapescorresponding to each other, may be provided so that the first guideplate 210 a and the second guide plate 210 b are stably mated with eachother. In addition, the outer projection 276 b of the first guide plate210 a and the inner groove 277 b of the second guide plate 210 b may beprovided.

The first guide plate 210 a and the second guide plate 210 b may befitted with respect to each other and thus assembled. Thus, the secondguide plate 210 b coupled to the display unit 20 may be stably fixed orsupported.

Particularly, since the second guide plate 210 b is seated on the upperportion of the first guide plate 210 a and then inserted into the firstassembly part 276 and assembled, the worker may disassemble or assemblethe display unit 20 without applying relatively large force because thedisplay unit 20 is stably supported when the display unit 20 isdisassembled or assembled. When disassembled or assembled, it mayprevent the display unit 20 from dropping downward after removing thefixing member 280.

The second guide plate 210 b may be coupled to the first coupling device240 and the second coupling device 250. The first coupling device 240and the second coupling device 250 may be coupled in a state in whichthe first coupling device 240 and the second coupling device 250 arespaced apart from each other on one side of the second guide plate 210b. For example, the first coupling device 240 may be provided to facethe outside of the upper end of the second guide plate 210 b, and thesecond coupling device 250 may be provided to face the outside of thelower end of the second guide plate 210 b.

The second guide plate 210 b may be connected to the display unit 20 bythe first and second coupling devices 240 and 250. Descriptions withrespect to the first and second coupling devices 240 and 250 will bederived from those in the abovementioned first and second embodiments.

The process of separating the display unit 20 in the third embodimentwill be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 22. Like the first andsecond embodiments, the guide plates 210 a and 210 b may be slidablywithdrawn backward, and the display unit 20 may rotate through the firstand second coupling devices 240 and 250 to open the coupling hole 32 b.

When the display unit 20 is maximally withdrawn, the stopper 270 maycome into contact with the rear end of the hook hole 66 of the secondinstallation plate 65 a to prevent the display unit 20 from beingfurther withdrawn. The worker may access the internal components throughthe coupling hole 32 b. When it is difficult to perform the workingthrough only the coupling hole 32 b opened by the rotation of thedisplay unit 20 such as a case in which a large component of theinternal components is managed, or separate equipment for the managementis required, it may be necessary to separate the display unit 20.

The worker may manually release the coupling of the fixing member 280coupling the first guide plate 210 a to the second guide plate 210 b.Since the fixing member 280 is coupled, the restriction of the first andsecond guide plates 210 a and 210 b may be released, and the secondguide plate 210 b may be inserted into and seated on the first guideplate 210 a.

When the worker lifts the display unit 20 upward, the second assemblypart 277 may slidably move upward along the first assembly part 276.Also, the display unit 20, the first and second coupling devices 240 and250, and the second guide plate 210 b may be separated from the firstguide plate 210 a. The display unit 20 separated after the working isfinished may be assembled in a reverse order of the above-describedseparation order to close the coupling hole 32 b again.

The worker may easily disassemble or assemble the display unit 20 toimprove work convenience.

Also, due to the easy separation of the display unit 20, theaccessibility to the internal components through the coupling hole 32 bmay be more improved.

According to the embodiment, since the access to the body part in whichthe main electrical components are provided is easy, cleaning orreplacement may be easy to improve the manageability of the guide robot.

According to the embodiment, since it is unnecessary to separatelydisassemble and transport the heavy display unit, the difficulty ofrepairing the guide robot may be reduced and simplified. Therefore,there is an effect that a time required for repairing the guide robot isshortened.

According to the embodiment, as the repair time of the guide robot isshortened, and the difficulty of the repair is reduced, the labor costfor the repair may be reduced, thereby reducing the repair costs.

According to the embodiment, since the manageability of the guide robotis improved, the life expectancy of the guide robot may increase, andthe labor productivity and the efficiency may be improved.

According to the embodiment, since the display unit freely rotateswithout interfering with other components by the guide plate, which isslidably withdrawn, the link, and the joint, the guide robot may beeasily managed to improve the convenience.

According to the embodiment, the coupling member connecting the displayunit to the attachment plate of the coupling device may be separated toeasily completely separate the display unit, and various display unitsmay be easily coupled to the coupling device. That is, the display unitmay be easily replaced. Thus, the guide robot according to theembodiment may have the advantages of expandability that is capable ofcontinuously upgrading the components and flexibility to be easilycoupled to various components.

According to the embodiment, the user's convenience may be improved inthe place where the floating population is large through the guiderobot.

According to the embodiment, since the display unit is easily separatedor coupled, the accessibility to the internal components of the guiderobot may be improved.

Embodiments provide a guide robot capable of solving a limitation inwhich access is not easy when repair is required because positions, atwhich main electrical components are provided, are covered in astructure of the guide robot to which a display unit is coupled.

Embodiments also provide a guide robot capable of solving inconvenienceof separately transferring a heavy display when repair is required inthe guide robot to which a display is coupled.

Embodiments also provide a guide robot capable of solving a structurallimitation of a display unit, in which it is difficult to be rotatablyinstalled to a main body due to an interference with the display unitthat is inclinedly coupled along an inclined case.

Embodiments also provide a guide robot capable of solving a limitationin which separation or disassembly of a display unit is not easy in astructure of the guide robot to which a display is coupled.

A guide robot according to an embodiment may include a case having acoupling hole and a door type display structure that is capable ofopening or closing the coupling hole. Thus, access to the body part inwhich main electrical components are provided may be easy.

The guide robot according to an embodiment may include an installationplate coupled to a main frame, a slide guide and a guide plate, whichare coupled to the installation plate, and a plurality of link typecoupling devices coupled to one side of the guide plate and connected tothe display unit to open or close the coupling hole by rotating thedisplay unit after the display unit slidably moves. Thus, when the guiderobot is repaired, it is unnecessary to separately separate andtransport the display unit.

The guide robot according to an embodiment may include a movement guidedevice on the body part, and the movement guide device may include aguide plate, a guide rail for slidably withdrawing the guide plate, anda coupling device coupled to the guide plate. Since a plurality of likesare rotatably connected to the coupling device, the display unit may berotatably installed without interference between components. Also, asufficient rotation angle of the display unit may be secured.

In the guide robot according to an embodiment, the plurality of linksand a mounting part coupled to the display unit may be provided in themovement guide device coupled to the installation plate to easilycompletely separate the display unit by separating only the couplingmember from the mounting part.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to asbeing “on” another element or layer, the element or layer can bedirectly on another element or layer or intervening elements or layers.In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on”another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layerspresent. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and allcombinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third,etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components,regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions,layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These termsare only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer orsection from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element,component, region, layer or section could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the present invention.

Spatially relative terms, such as “lower”, “upper” and the like, may beused herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of oneelement or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated inthe figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms areintended to encompass different orientations of the device in use oroperation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. Forexample, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements describedas “lower” relative to other elements or features would then be oriented“upper” relative the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplaryterm “lower” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. Thedevice may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at otherorientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used hereininterpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

Embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference tocross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations ofidealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the disclosure.As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result,for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to beexpected. Thus, embodiments of the disclosure should not be construed aslimited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but areto include deviations in shapes that result, for example, frommanufacturing.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will befurther understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unlessexpressly so defined herein.

This application relates to U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (AttorneyDocket No. HI-1336), and U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (AttorneyDocket No. HI-1337), both filed on Dec. 22, 2017, which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety. Further, one of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that features disclosed in theseabove-noted applications may be combined in any combination withfeatures disclosed herein.

Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Theappearances of such phrases in various places in the specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic is described inconnection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within thepurview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, orcharacteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number ofillustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerousother modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled inthe art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles ofthis disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modificationsare possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subjectcombination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawingsand the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications inthe component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also beapparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A guide robot comprising: a main body; a casecovering the main body and having an opening; and a display unitconnected to the main body and configured to cover the opening or toallow access to the opening, wherein the main body includes: a lowersection having a plurality of wheels and a support plate; a body sectionhaving a main frame extending upward from the support plate and aplurality of circuit boards; and a head section supported by the mainframe.
 2. The guide robot according to claim 1, wherein the display unitcomprises: a display; a display cover accommodating the display in arear surface thereof; and a display support protruding from the displaycover.
 3. The guide robot according to claim 2, wherein the display is acurved display, and the display cover has a surface that is curved tocorrespond to the curved display.
 4. The guide robot according to claim2, wherein the opening is opened or closed by the display support. 5.The guide robot according to claim 4, wherein the case includes asupport ledge provided below the opening, and a bottom surface of thedisplay support is seated on the support ledge when the opening isclosed by the display support.
 6. The guide robot according to claim 1,wherein the body section further includes: an installation plate coupledto the main frame; a slide guide provided on the installation plate; aguide plate configured to slide along the slide guide; and at least onehinge provided on one side of the guide plate and coupled to the displayunit.
 7. The guide robot according to claim 6, wherein the body sectionfurther includes: at least one pin provided on one surface of the guideplate; and at least one latch provided on the installation plate andconfigured to latch the at least one pin.
 8. The guide robot accordingto claim 7, wherein coupling or detachment between the pin and the atleast one latch is selectively performed according to a number of timesthe display unit is pushed by a user.
 9. The guide robot according toclaim 6, wherein the at least one hinge includes: a support platecoupled to the guide plate; a first link rotatably connected to thesupport plate; a second link rotatably connected to the first link; andan attachment plate having one end connected to the second link and theother end coupled to the display unit.
 10. The guide robot according toclaim 9, wherein the at least one hinge further includes: a third linkrotatably connected to the support plate and spaced apart from the firstlink; and a fourth link rotatably connected to the third link.
 11. Theguide robot according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and thirdlinks has a rectangular shape with a central portion being opened, thefirst link has a length less than that of the third link, and the secondlink has a length greater than that of the fourth link.
 12. The guiderobot according to claim 6, wherein the display unit slidably movesforward and backward based on sliding of the guide plate along the slideguide provided on the installation plate and rotates about the guideplate to open or close the opening.
 13. A guide robot comprising: alower section having a plurality of wheels; a body section providedabove the lower section and having a movable guide that slidably movesforward and backward; a case covering the body section and having anopening so that the inside of the body is accessible and allows themovable guide to move into or out of the body; and a door connected tothe moveable guide to open or close the opening.
 14. The guide robotaccording to claim 13, wherein the door comprises: a display; a displaycover accommodating the display; and a display support protruding fromthe display cover to open or close the opening.
 15. The guide robotaccording to claim 13, wherein the door is rotatably connected to themovable guide.
 16. The guide robot according to claim 13, wherein thebody section further includes an installation plate having a space whichrestricts a movement distance of the movable guide.
 17. The guide robotaccording to claim 16, wherein the movable guide comprises: a slideguide coupled to the installation plate; a slider allowing the slideguide to be inserted therein to slidably move; and a guide plateconnected to the slider to be movable forward and backward.
 18. Theguide robot according to claim 17, wherein the moveable guide furtherincludes a stopper to contact a wall defining the space to restrict themovement distance.
 19. The guide robot according to claim 17, whereinthe guide plate comprises: a first guide plate coupled to the slider;and a second guide plate inserted into and seated on the first guideplate and connected to the first guide plate.
 20. The guide robotaccording to claim 19, wherein the second guide plate is connected tothe door.